


Outed

by JamiAlexandra7



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Coming Out, F/F, Femlock, Trigger warning for homophobic slurs, Unilock, but Jo(hn) makes it all better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 01:15:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11863602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamiAlexandra7/pseuds/JamiAlexandra7
Summary: Based ona tumblr postand an addition by @justanotherwritingaddict.Sherlock gets accidentally outed one day in class. Jo stands up for her.





	Outed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paradigmfinch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paradigmfinch/gifts).



> This didn't quite stay true to the prompt, but the effect is still there! I hope you all enjoy it ♥
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone who helped me edit this (read: made it coherent)!

Jo Watson, sitting the back row of an Introductory Psychology lecture, had almost completely tuned out the professor when it happened:

“Yes, Holmes?” The professor sounded more than a little bit resigned to being corrected _yet again_ by Sherlock Holmes.

“This whole concept is extremely heteronormative and sexist. Why is it still included this course? It’s essentially useless.”

Jo snickered. The professor looked taken aback. “I beg your pardon?”

Sherlock Holmes was without question the smartest (and fittest, but that was beside the point) student in their year – she had no business being in anything as basic as an introductory course, but prerequisites were prerequisites even for a genius – and spent more time correcting professors than taking notes. She was in three of Jo’s other classes and although she’d never worked up the nerve to so much as introduce herself, Jo found herself nursing something of a crush on her.

“I said, the entire concept of sexual selection and parental investment theory is heteronormative, outdated, and vaguely sexist. It doesn’t take into account the existence of gay or bisexual people.”

“There’s no need to be political, Holmes. I’m sure all of that is irrelevant to our discussion today…” the prof – who, Jo noted, was one of the oldest in the department and staunchly heterosexual (not to mention more than a little homophobic) – trailed off awkwardly. “Now, as I was saying –”

“But shouldn’t modern social science and psychology be trying to include lesbian and gay perspectives?” another student piped up, cutting the professor off again. “It’s important, after all, and since none of us like to think of ourselves as homophobic, shouldn’t we be the ones making that effort?”

“There, you see!” Sherlock sounded triumphant, and Jo grinned to herself. Despite being a chemistry major, Sherlock could correct most of the profs in the required introductory courses. Jo could picture her self-satisfied grin and the slight blush she knew would be on those sharp cheekbones – Sherlock may be outspoken, but she could also be painfully shy, and it showed in the way her face flamed every time she spoke up in class. “Very little of the data – if you can call it that – you’re presenting is applicable to queer people, and it’s absurd to leave out such a significant portion of the population.”

The professor took a step forward, frowning thunderously at the continued interruption. “Holmes, you have yet to demonstrate why any of your leftist idealism is relevant to my lecture today. I must insist you stop interrupting, or I will have to ask you to leave.”

“Maybe she’s a _dyke!”_ a student sitting behind Jo shouted out. Jo turned to glare at him, not at all surprised to see that it was a stereotypical white-frat-boy who’d made the comment.

There was a wave of uncomfortable giggling and muttering. “You can’t just _say_ things like that, it’s _offensive_ ,” someone stage-whispered, sounding scandalized. “Although I did always think it was rather obvious.”

Sherlock stood up and whirled around, her face red and twisted in anger, her shoulders tight and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “And what’s it to you if I am?” she demanded.

“I betcha I can change your mind for you!” the would-be frat boy replied, flashing a crude hand gesture at her.

Anger boiled in Jo’s stomach and she grit her teeth, biting back a sharp retort. It wasn’t her place to defend Sherlock – she hardly knew her, after all – but if no one said anything she would.

Sherlock, however, beat her to it. “I can’t believe you just said that! You disgusting, homophobic idiot, that doesn’t even make sense. I wouldn’t sleep with you to save my life – even if I _wasn’t_ a lesbian!” Sherlock’s eyes were bright with furious tears by the time she finished shouting and sat back down.

“I knew it! I always knew the frigid bitch was queer!”

“Shut up, you arse!”

The professor cleared his throat loudly and cut off the threatening argument, resuming his lecture as though nothing had happened. Hardly any of the students were listening at that point – most of them were talking quietly, or texting, or staring at Sherlock like they didn’t quite know what to think of her. The professor pointedly ignored them and raised his voice just slightly over the noise.

Jo stared at Sherlock, too. She was hunched low in her seat with her arms crossed defensively over her chest, looking painfully embarrassed. She realised with a little jolt that there were tears on Sherlock’s face and that her shoulders were shaking. She looked like she wanted to disappear.

“She’s right, you know,” Jo spoke up, impulsively. “None of that applies to lesbians – or at least, not to me.” A lecture hall full of homophobic freshman was a less-than-ideal place to come out, but she couldn’t help wanting to take some of the attention off of Sherlock.

Sherlock’s chin lifted slightly and she turned in her seat. “No, I didn’t think so, either,” she replied casually, as if there wasn’t an entire lecture hall between them. The little boost it seemed to give her didn’t last, though, and she sank down in her seat to hide again.

The professor slammed his notes down on his desk. “I’ve had enough interruptions for one day, thank you. Watson, Holmes, _out._ ”

***

Jo rushed to catch up with Sherlock outside of the hall, wanting to make sure she was alright after the shitshow the lecture had turned into.

“Sorry about all that. Are you alright?”

Sherlock froze long enough for Jo to see her blushing again, then picked up her pace to avoid her.

“Hey! Sherlock, wait up a second!”

Sherlock reluctantly stopped and turned around, looking wary. “I’m sorry I got you kicked out of class,” she said stiffly. “It wasn’t my intention.”

“No, I just – you seemed upset, in class, and I wanted to make sure you were okay?”

“…yes. I’m fine, thank you. Although,” she paused, her mouth curling up on one side in a wry smile, “that’s definitely not how I would have chosen to come out to our imbecilic classmates.”

Jo laughed. “No, me neither. You’re sure you’re alright, though? That guy was really nasty.”

Sherlock rolled her eyes. “He was an idiot.”

“Yes, he was.” They stand there for a moment, awkwardly silent, until Jo breaks it again: “ThismightbetotallyinappropriateandIhardlyknowyoubutI’velikedyouallsemesterexceptIsortofassumedyouwerestraightandnowthatIknowyou’renotwillyougooutwithme?” The words came out all in a rush, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

Sherlock blinked at her. “I’m… sorry?”

Jo forced herself to take a deep breath and try again at a more normal speed. “I said, I’d spent the whole semester wrongly assuming you were straight, but now that I know better… will you go out with me? Just for coffee or something?”

“Oh.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, I just thought –”

“No! I mean – yes! Yes, I want to. Please. Coffee would be… nice.”

“Oh. Well, okay then. Great.”

Sherlock’s small, shy smile was completely different from the cocky smirk she so often wore when correcting professors. Jo decided that she liked this version better. 


End file.
